Andrey Santos has been heavily linked with joining Newcastle United, but a new report claims that he is heading to Chelsea instead.
The 18-year-old has been shining in Brazil for Vasco da Gama, and looks destined for a move to Europe. He is a target for Newcastle, and it was previously claimed by 90min that Eddie Howe’s side are confident of a deal.
Then there was an update at the weekend, with the Northern Echo stating that the Magpies are planning to make a bid for the teenager.
However, a new report suggests that the midfielder’s future may already be decided.
Andrey Santos close to joining Chelsea
According to French outlet Le10Sport, Santos is now going to move to Chelsea in January. They report that he is encouraged by the project at Stamford Bridge, with Graham Potter’s side close to agreeing a £13million deal.
If this is the case then it sounds like Chelsea could be getting an absolute bargain. It was previously claimed that Santos would move for a fee of at least £25million. However, Le10Sport’s story suggests that the Blues could be getting him for almost half the price.
While a story about an English club chasing a Brazilian teenager looks out of place on a French website, there is the caveat that Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked. That gives the report a bit more credibility.
But for Newcastle’s sake, we have to hope that it isn’t true. Santos is a real talent, and sounds like he could be a star of the future. It’s the kind of signing Dan Ashworth is trying to make, and it would be a real blow if he joins another Premier League club.
The youngster has recently spoke about his admiration for Bruno Guimaraes. It felt like that could possibly give us an edge in this transfer tussle.
But if Le10Sport’s story is true, Santos will soon be playing against Bruno rather than alongside him. And that is a real shame.
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